TWIF: Vol. 10

Sry, what was that? We couldn't hear you over all this badass feminism.

1. America's Got Fat-Phobia.

The recent surgeof body positivitywithin the yoga community has been giving us all the stomach fuzzies; it's so important to remind people that not all healthy bodies are small ones (#bless). And yet, some people still don't seem to get it. *Aggressively glares at America's Got Talent.* When professional pole dancer Roslyn Mays, a plus-sized woman, auditioned with a 90-second pole routine, she was told by judge Howard Stern that she's "too fat" to be doing what she does, that she's unhealthy, and that no one should hire her. His comments are A) unnecessarily mean, and B) just straight ludicrous next to her display of incredible athleticism. The idea that weight loss = healthy is dead. wrong. (especially for women--who are supposed to have more fat than men ~evolutionarily~. Helllooooo??). Science knows it. We know it. Roz knows it. All eyes on you, AGT.

2. Feminists Are Mad at the Chinese Government.

These days it seems everyone (ok..not everyone) wants to jump on the Femtrain, even if they don’t have a feminist resumé to back them up. One example that made headlines this week was Chinese President Xi Jinping, who, during a speech to the U.N., proclaimed China’s unwavering dedication to the fight for gender equality--which had some famous feminists (hint: HRC) a little ticked off. Hill expressed frustration with the “shameless” President on Twitter--citing the recent imprisonment of five Chinese feminists who were protesting several things, including sexual harassment on public transport--and accused him of hypocrisy. Many Chinese feminists and activists also took issue with the President’s statement, as they don’t feel his actions reflect his words. Looks like you got some ‘splainin’ to do, Xi.

3. Domestic Violence Does Not Look Cute On You.

Remember how committing domestic violence is a totally excusable act, especially if you’re famous, wealthy, good-looking, or any combination thereof? Uh...yeah. We don’t either. And apparently neither does Australia, who just this week announced that they are considering barring Chris Brown from a visa that would allow him to perform in the country. Brown, our collective middle school celeb crush who also happened to plead guilty to the assault of Rihanna, has become a notorious pop culture icon and controversial figure. TBH, we think sending the message that Australia doesn’t tolerate this behavior is a cool way to take a stance for women. Plus, look at all this other cool stuff Australia’s been busy with!! Maybe it’s time we relocated to the land down under…?

4. California Addresses the Wage Gap.

California may be scrambling for water these days, but there's certainly no drought when it comes to capable women in the workforce--which is part of the reason why the exorbitant wage gap between genders in the state is so awkward. No joke: Latina women only make 44 cents on a man’s dollar (this is the largest gap in the nation for Latina workers, btw), Black women make 64 cents, and White women make 89. To begin the arduous journey toward equality, California law-makers have proposed the California Fair Pay Act, which, among other things, would make allow women to ask their employers how much their male counterparts are making without facing any repercussions, as they have in the past. To quote Jordin Sparks (prolific poet of our time), “Take one step at a time,” Cali. One step at a time.

5. Black Lives Still Matter.

Trail-blazing intersectional feminist and political powerhouse Elizabeth Warren has captured our hearts again this week with an address to a Boston crowd tackling the topic of race in the United States. UGH, yes Lizzie. Insert “heart-eyes emoji” here. The speech must have been really good, too, because Black Lives Matter activists have already begun to praise it, particularly her emphasis on structural upheaval of institutionalized racism that pushes beyond economic matters and acknowledges the social implications of centuries of systemic inequality. Warren’s speech is an echo of what we have been hearing all along from groups like Black Lives Matter, but her political clout (and her pale skin, if we’re being real) have helped to maintain this issue’s place in the mainstream. Just gotta keep moving forward.

6. Still Standing with PP.

If you’ve been keeping up with our politics, or if you’ve visited our Facebook page in the last week, you’ll probs have an idea of just how strongly we #StandWithPP. That being said, this week (and the past few months, rly) have been trying times for pro-choice feminists and Planned Parenthood supporters alike who are facing the harshest scrutiny we’ve faced in decades from GOP politicians and the conservative community at large. That’s why Tuesday’snationwide Pink Out for Planned Parenthood rally behind PP Prez Cecile Richards--who had to testify on behalf of the healthcare provider in front of an extremely male (and extremely rude, extremely ill-informed, etc.) audience of GOP politicians and representatives--made us trés proud. While we generally feel like this entire “debate” ispointless and offensive, we’re happy to see people come out in support of women’s reproductive rights, no matter the circumstances. The lady power is strong with this one. (Also, we’re ugly-crying because of this series of very fortunate events).

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